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Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy is keeping the door open to a potential run for New York City mayor as he ramps up criticism of Mayor Zohran Mamdani, arguing the candidate’s economic message and political alliances are cause for concern.

He joined FOX Business’ Stuart Varney on “Varney & Co.” to discuss New York City politics, the state of the Democratic Party and why he believes voters should pay close attention to the views of candidates seeking public office. 

Barstool founder and CEO Dave Portnoy  (Michael Hickey / Getty Images)

After Varney asked if he would challenge Mamdani in a run for NYC Mayor, Portnoy responded, “It depends what day you wake me up.”

“You show me a clip like that, Stuart, my blood starts to boil.” Portnoy said responding to a clip of Mamdani defending his economic agenda, arguing that raising taxes on wealthy New Yorkers and embracing socialist principles would help address the city’s financial challenges. 

Portnoy went on to criticize Mamdani’s comments about balancing the city’ finances. 

“This guys’ unbelievable. You didn’t balance anything. You just took money, you robbed Peter to pay Paul. Like what are we doing here?” Portnoy said.

Portnoy also left the door open to a potential political run in a recent interview with Fox News Digital. When asked whether he would consider running against Mamdani, Portnoy said, “maybe I’m the guy to do it.”

In addition, he pointed to several progressive political figures and argued voters should take candidates at their word when evaluating past statements and policy positions before Election Day.

KEN GRIFFIN FIRES BACK AT MAMDANI, SAYS BUSINESS LEADERS MUST ‘FIGHT FOR THEIR CITY’

“These are anti-American, they hate America,” Portnoy said. “I trust what people say a lot before they’re elected. When they get elected, a lot of these people are deleting their tweets… It’s garbage, and it’s scary.”

Although Portnoy acknowledged he has floated the idea of entering politics himself, he said he understands the personal costs that come with seeking office.

JAMIE DIMON REVEALS WHAT HE TOLD MAMDANI AFTER PRIVATE MEETING, SAYS IDEOLOGY CAN LEAD MAYORS TO FAIL

“I’d hate to get into politics because it’s the worst people, it’s the worst life, you can’t enjoy your life,” he said. “I don’t know what’s going on in this country and if somebody isn’t gonna step up… It’s a very scary place where we’re going.”

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This article was written by

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Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have no stock, option or similar derivative position in any of the companies mentioned, and no plans to initiate any such positions within the next 72 hours. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.

Seeking Alpha’s Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.

Kroger announced Wednesday it will acquire regional supermarket chain Giant Eagle in a $1.65 billion deal, marking the grocery giant’s first major acquisition since regulators blocked its proposed $25 billion merger with Albertsons nearly two years ago.

The acquisition will strengthen Kroger’s presence across several Midwestern and Mid-Atlantic markets as traditional grocery chains compete with Walmart and Amazon while consumers continue searching for lower prices after years of elevated inflation.

“We evaluated the opportunity carefully, and the strategic fit is clear,” Kroger CEO Greg Foran said in a statement. “Giant Eagle expands our reach into attractive adjacent markets.”

SEPHORA JOINS WALMART, TARGET WITH NEW ‘QUIET HOURS’ SHOPPING EXPERIENCE

Kroger announced Wednesday it will acquire regional supermarket chain Giant Eagle in a $1.65 billion deal. (Shelby Tauber/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Giant Eagle operates about 197 supermarkets and 11 standalone pharmacies across northern Ohio, western Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Maryland and Indiana. Kroger currently operates roughly 2,700 supermarkets and multi-department stores, along with about 2,200 pharmacies, across 35 states.

The transaction includes $1.25 billion in cash and the assumption of approximately $400 million in Giant Eagle’s outstanding liabilities.

Giant Eagle operates about 197 supermarkets and 11 standalone pharmacies across northern Ohio, western Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Maryland and Indiana. (Allison Farrand/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

The acquisition follows the collapse of Kroger’s proposed merger with Albertsons in late 2024, when courts blocked the deal over antitrust concerns, prompting the nation’s largest traditional supermarket operator to pursue other avenues for growth.

The grocery industry remains fiercely competitive as retailers battle for market share amid persistent pressure on household budgets. Kroger has sought to keep prices competitive as shoppers remain price-conscious, while Walmart has continued to gain grocery market share and Amazon has expanded its online grocery offerings.

Kroger said it expects the Giant Eagle acquisition to increase adjusted earnings beginning in the second full year after the transaction closes, which is expected in 2027.

A Kroger grocery store in Covington, Kentucky, on June 2, 2024.  (Jeffrey Dean/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

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The deal also reflects a broader wave of consolidation across the consumer sector, with companies pursuing acquisitions to gain scale and navigate inflationary pressures, changing consumer preferences and heightened competition.

Reuters contributed to this report. 

Sony is ending production of physical discs for all new PlayStation game releases beginning in January 2028, marking a significant step in the gaming industry’s ongoing transition to digital distribution. 

Sony Interactive Entertainment announced the decision Wednesday in a post on its official PlayStation Blog, saying all new games released after January 2028 will be available through the PlayStation Store and retailers in digital formats only.

The company said the move reflects changing consumer behavior as more players purchase and download games digitally rather than buy physical copies.

“As consumer preferences and the broader entertainment industry continue to shift away from physical discs to digital, physical game disc production for all new games releasing on PlayStation consoles will be discontinued starting January 2028,” Sony said in the announcement.

UBISOFT CO-FOUNDER CLAUDE GUILLEMOT KILLED IN PLANE CRASH THAT CLAIMED 2 LIVES

Sony is ending production of physical discs for all new PlayStation game releases beginning in January 2028. (Emanuele Cremaschi/Getty Images)

The change will not affect games that have already been released or titles scheduled to launch on disc before January 2028.

The decision represents another milestone in the entertainment industry’s broader migration away from physical media. Music, movies and PC gaming have increasingly embraced digital distribution over the past decade, reducing manufacturing, packaging and shipping costs while giving consumers instant access to purchases.

The change will not affect games that have already been released or titles scheduled to launch on disc before January 2028. (Jim Vondruska/Reuters)

Sony said games will continue to be available through both the PlayStation Store and retailers, though new releases after January 2028 will be sold in digital formats rather than on physical discs.

The company said the transition will allow it to better align with how most players access games today while continuing to give customers flexibility in where they purchase new titles.

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“We’ll continue to prioritize our resources to drive innovation in how players can access games and provide choices as to where players prefer to purchase new games, whether that’s at retailers or PlayStation Store,” Sony said. “We remain committed to delivering a world-class gaming experience to our fans and we thank you for your continued support.”

Home listing prices are declining at the fastest pace in at least nine years as sellers adjust to a slower market and look to attract buyers.

The national median asking price fell 2.5% in June compared with a year ago, declining to $430,000 based on the latest data from the Realtor.com monthly housing market trends report.

June marked the eighth consecutive month of price decreases, and the 2.5% asking price drop was the deepest annual decline in the history of the data set, which dates back to 2017.

“Sellers are reading market conditions and are pricing accordingly from the start rather than listing high and cutting later, and buyers are taking note and making bids,” said Realtor.com chief economist Danielle Hale.

HOUSING AFFORDABILITY UNLIKELY TO RETURN TO MORE FAVORABLE LEVELS OF THE PAST, ECONOMIST SAYS

Home listing prices fell at the fastest annual rate since 2017, Realtor.com data showed. (Daniel Acker/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

The report found that for a buyer who bought a $430,000 home in June with a 20% down payment and an average mortgage rate of 6.49%, the typical monthly payment was $2,172.

That figure is about $132 less per month, and more than $1,500 less per year, than what the typical buyer owed in June 2025, which had a median price of $440,950 and an average mortgage rate of 6.82%.

Another notable metric suggesting the affordability pressures in the housing market are easing is that the typical home listed for sale is spending the same amount of time on the market as it did a year ago, holding steady at 53 days.

INCOME NEEDED TO AFFORD A MEDIAN-PRICED HOME HAS NEARLY DOUBLED SINCE 2020, REPORT FINDS

Pending home sales have grown for more than half a year. (Paul Bersebach/MediaNews Group/Orange County Register via Getty Images)

Pending home sales also rose 3.7% year over year through June, which marked the seventh consecutive month of growth despite the share of listings with a price cut shrinking by 1.9 percentage points to 18.8%.

Other economic indicators were little changed in June, as mortgage rates settled around 6.5% and Federal Reserve policymakers unanimously held the benchmark federal funds rate steady at its current range of 3.5% to 3.75% amid elevated inflation readings.

ONE IN THREE ADULTS UNDER 35 LIVES WITH PARENTS AS HOUSING COSTS SOAR, DATA SHOWS

New homes listed for sale have risen over 2% in the last year. (David Ryder/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

“It was a no-news-is-good-news June,” said Realtor.com senior economist Jake Krimmel. “While it may seem obvious now, this was far from a foregone conclusion just a few months ago.”

Sellers have also increasingly moved off the sidelines amid the price declines in a sign of confidence that they’ll find a willing buyer, as new listings increased 2.4% from a year ago.

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“Unlike last year, sellers are willing to take a slight haircut to move, and buyers get a little relief on price to offset rates that settled higher than hoped,” Krimmel said.